How to cook whole wheat. Whole wheat porridge with buckwheat. Wheat porridge - how to cook, recipes

Ecology of consumption. Food and Recipes: The undoubtedly good advice of many nutritionists to eat grains as our ancestors consumed them, rather than refined flour and polished rice, is misleading and often has negative consequences. Our ancestors consumed whole grains, but they never prepared them the way they are presented in modern cookbooks: in the form of quick-fix breads, granola (muesli) and other quick-cooking casseroles and dishes.

The undoubtedly good advice of many nutritionists to consume grains as our ancestors consumed them, rather than refined flour and polished rice, is misleading and often has negative consequences.

Our ancestors consumed whole grains, but they never prepared them the way they are presented in modern cookbooks: in the form of quick-fix breads, granola (muesli) and other quick-cooking casseroles and dishes.

Our ancestors and all uncivilized peoples soaked or fermented grains before cooking porridge, bread, pies and grain dishes. One look at the recipes of the peoples of the world is enough to confirm this point of view.

In India, rice and lentils are fermented for at least 2 days before they are used to make idli and dosas. In Africa, locals soak coarsely ground corn overnight before adding it to soups and broths, and they also ferment corn and millet for several days to make a porridge called orgi. A similar dish, but made from oats, was traditional among the natives of Wales.

In some Eastern and Latin American countries, it is customary to ferment rice for a long time before cooking it. Ethiopians make their outstanding injera bread by fermenting grains called teff for several days. Mexican corn tortillas called pozol are fermented in banana leaves for sometimes up to two weeks.

Before the invention of instant yeast, Europeans made their bread with fermented sourdough. The first settlers of America were famous for their bread, pancakes and sourdough pastries. Finally, throughout Europe, grains were pre-soaked overnight, and sometimes for several days, in water or sour milk before being made into porridge or mush. (Many older people may remember that oatmeal packages used to say about pre-soaking overnight).

There is no point in speculating what intuitive feeling made our ancestors soak and ferment grains before consuming them. More importantly, this ancient technique fits well with what modern grain science has recently discovered.

All grains contain phytic acid (an organic acid that binds phosphorus) in the outer shell of the grain. Unneutralized phytic acid can combine in the intestines with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc and thereby interfere with their absorption.

This is why a diet that includes consumption of unfermented whole grains can lead to severe mineral deficiencies and bone loss. The fashionable and incorrect practice of consuming large quantities of unprocessed bran often initially improves digestion and relieves constipation, but can subsequently lead to irritable bowel syndrome and, over a longer period of time, other undesirable effects.

Soaking allows enzymes, lactobacilli and other friendly microorganisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid. Just 7 hours of soaking in a warm, slightly acidic environment neutralizes most of the phytic acid in the grains. Simply soaking ground grains and flakes overnight greatly improves their nutritional value.

Soaking in warm water also neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors that are present in all seeds and promotes additional production of a number of enzymes. The action of these enzymes, in turn, increases the amount of vitamins, especially B vitamins.

Scientists have discovered that the proteins in grains, especially gluten, are very difficult to digest. A diet high in gluten-rich, unfermented whole grains, such as wheat, puts a lot of stress on the digestive tract.

When the digestive process is disrupted due to age or heavy workload, painful conditions develop in the form of allergies, celiac disease, mental disorders, chronic gastrointestinal diseases and the growth of candida albicanis. Recent research has linked gluten intolerance to multiple sclerosis. During the soaking and fermentation process, gluten and other difficult-to-digest proteins are broken down into simpler components for better absorption.

Animals that eat mainly grains and other plants have as many as 4 stomachs (4 stomach compartments). Their intestines are longer, as is the overall digestion time. Humans have only one stomach and, compared to herbivores, a much shorter intestine.

This feature of human anatomy allows animal products to enter the intestines before the process of decomposition begins in them, but makes a person less adapted to the consumption of grains - unless, of course, he allows the bacteria from the microcosm in the plate to do part of the work of digestion for him. since it is these lactobacilli that work on digestion in the first and second stomachs of herbivores.

Grains can be divided into two categories. Those containing gluten, such as oats, rye, barley and especially wheat, should never be consumed without first being soaked or fermented; Buckwheat, rice and millet do not contain gluten and are generally much better digestible.

Whole rice and whole millet contain the least amount of phytates compared to other grains and therefore there is no special need to soak them. However, they should be cooked for at least 2 hours in a highly nutritious gelatin broth. This will help break down the phytates they contain and replenish those minerals that remain bound, and the gelatin in the broth will greatly aid digestion. We do not recommend pressure cookers for cooking grains as they cook them too quickly.

There are several types of grains that are new to Western ears. One of them - spelled(spelled), an ancient variety of wheat, which was valued by the medieval sage Saint Hildgard because it greatly helped the sick and people with weak constitutions.

Spelled contains gluten and is very suitable for baking sourdough bread. Some studies show that spelled gluten is easily broken down during fermentation, making it easier to digest than modern wheat varieties. In most bread and pastry recipes, spelled can replace modern wheat. (Let us remember that in Pushkin’s fairy tale Balda demanded from the priest: “Give me some boiled spelt.”).

Another ancient non-hybrid wheat variety is kamut, the first mentions of which date back to the early Egyptian era. Some people with allergies to modern wheat varieties do better if they use spelled or kamut instead.

Teff- a grain crop from North Africa that is necessarily fermented before baking bread from it.

Quinoa came to us from the South American Andes and was first described in Western literature by Dr. Weston Price. He noted that women in the Andes valued quinoa for its ability to influence breast milk production. Botanically, quinoa is not a grain, but the seed of a plant in the gonoceae family, which has high nutritional value. All types of quinoa should be soaked - the Andean Indians recognized that this would neutralize antinutrients.

Amaranth is another grain from South America that can be used in many of the recipes later in the book.

Buckwheat- another forgotten grain - valued for its high content of amygdalin (laetrile, vitamin B17, nitrilosides), which prevent cancer. Like quinoa, buckwheat is not botanically a grain. It is the seed of a plant related to rhubarb.

If you buy ground grains or flakes, you should only buy them if they are packaged and do not take them in bulk, as then they will quickly go rancid. It is much better to buy organic or biodynamic (grown using biodynamic technology) whole grains and grind or flatten them into flakes at home using a special mill.You can also add a small amount of ground flaxseed to start the day with a boost of omega-3 fatty acids.

Such porridges go very well with cream or butter, the fat-soluble activators of which are a necessary catalyst for the absorption of minerals. Typically, people with milk allergies can tolerate small amounts of cream in their porridge or can eat porridge with butter - a magical combination. We do not recommend soy milk, which contains many antinutrients.

We also don't recommend granola, a popular "health" food made from grains that have only been dry-heated and are therefore very difficult to digest. Granola, like all industrialized breakfast cereals, shouldn't take up space on your kitchen shelves. Breakfast cereals are made using an extrusion process where small flakes and different shapes are formed using high heat and pressure.

The extrusion process destroys many of the valuable substances in the grain, renders unstable oils rancid, and makes some proteins toxic. To raise a healthy generation of children, we should return to the breakfast of our ancestors - pre-soaked cereals and mush.

A few words about corn: traditional recipes call for soaking corn and cornmeal in lime water, which releases the niacinamide (vitamin B3, PP) that otherwise remains bound in the grain. Soaking also improves the amino acid composition of the germ.

If you often use corn in your cooking, the simple practice of soaking the corn in lime water will help you avoid pellagra, a disease caused by a lack of vitamin B3 (PP), which causes inflamed skin, fatigue and mental disorders.

This might interest you:

To make lime water, place 1 ounce (28 grams) pickled lime in a 2-quart jar. Fill the jar with filtered water, stir well, close tightly and leave overnight. A precipitate will form overnight, and the remaining clear liquid is lime water. Keep the jar in a cool place (not necessarily the refrigerator) and use to soak the corn, draining the jar a little. published

First wheat The ancient Egyptians began growing it more than 5-6 thousand years ago. By the beginning of our era, this plant was successfully cultivated in Africa and Asia. Ancient Rus' revered this grain; it symbolized wealth and prosperity. People have been studying the healing qualities of wheat for centuries. Wheat has become a cure for many diseases, is widely used for cosmetic purposes, and is considered a product for longevity. Man has learned to process grains into flour, while the most valuable elements remain in the unused shell. Whole wheat grains are the basis of a healthy diet. Whole wheat is used to make porridges, soups, and add to dry breakfast mixes, but these grains are most valuable when sprouted.

Benefits of wheat:

Whole wheat grains are the main building material for cellular tissue. This product, with complex carbohydrates in its composition (up to 75%) and many useful microelements, is very useful for the human body. The most valuable part of the grain is its germ, which is why it is believed that when wheat germinates, it carries the maximum number of beneficial properties. The fiber in this cereal prevents fat from being deposited in our body and is very effective in weight loss. A decoction of this plant is an excellent remedy for restoring vitality. It has a beneficial effect on the intestinal mucosa and absorbs all harmful substances from it.

Harm and contraindications:

Eating wheat is not recommended for diabetes, colitis, and endocrine system disorders. Wheat, due to its large amount of gluten, is known as a highly allergenic product. Eating whole grains is not recommended for children under 3 years of age, pregnant and lactating women.

Nowadays, not many people cook whole wheat as a side dish, more often for fishing or for preparing other dishes in the future, although in fact this grain contains many useful substances and even when boiled, most of them are preserved. Let's take a closer look at how long it takes and how to properly cook wheat in a saucepan with water so that it is completely cooked and tasty.

How long does it take to cook wheat?

The cooking time for whole wheat grains is quite long, and it always needs to be pre-soaked (for 3-4 hours in boiling water):

• How long to cook wheat? On average, the cooking time for wheat in a pan is 3 hours (over low heat after boiling water in the pan).

Having found out how long to cook the wheat until it is ready, we will next consider the sequence of its preparation, since its cooking is a long process.

How to cook wheat in a saucepan?

Like many cereals, whole grain wheat is pre-prepared for cooking and the cooking process itself takes place over low heat for a long time. Let's look at how to cook wheat in a saucepan step by step:

• Measure out 1 cup of whole wheat and place it in a sieve, then rinse thoroughly with cold water.
• Pour boiling water over the washed wheat (pour 1 cup of wheat into 3-4 cups of boiling water) and leave to soak for 3-4 hours.
• After soaking, drain the water, transfer the wheat to a saucepan and fill it with cold water in the proportion: 4 cups of water per 1 cup of wheat.
• Over high heat, bring the water in the pan to a boil, then reduce the heat to minimum, cook the wheat in the pan under the lid for 3 hours until tender. If during cooking all the water boils away ahead of time, then add a little boiling water.
• 15-20 minutes before the end of cooking, add salt (1 level teaspoon or a little less).
• You can add butter to boiled wheat and then use it as a side dish or for preparing other dishes.

We also read the article on how to properly cook porridge from wheat cereals:

Whole wheat is very rarely used in modern cuisine. But in vain - this cereal in its natural form is much healthier than cereals that are produced by grinding grains. You can prepare any dishes from wheat: salads, soups, cereals, pie fillings and cereal cutlets. The most famous dish today is kutia, which we will now tell you about in detail. We will also pay attention to other whole wheat dishes that will probably interest you.

For kutya you will need: 2 cups of wheat, 1 cup of poppy seeds, 100 g of honey, 200 g of raisins, 200 g of walnuts, 1 tablespoon of sugar, a pinch of salt. Prepare a real old dish like this:

1. Pour washed whole wheat grains into boiling water and boil for 5 minutes.
2. Place the wheat in a sieve and rinse with cold water.
3. Place the lightly boiled grains in a bowl with a lid that can be placed in the oven.
4. Fill it with boiling water in such an amount that there is 3 fingers of water above the grains.
5. Place the pot of wheat in a preheated oven for 1-1.5 hours. Cook until it becomes soft.
6. Remove the wheat from the oven and let it cool completely.
7. Pour hot water over the washed poppy seeds in a sieve and simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
8. Let it cool and strain off the excess water.
9. Place the poppy seeds in a deep bowl and pour sugar into it. Grind with sugar with an immersion blender.
10. Mix steamed wheat with poppy seeds, raisins, and chopped nuts.
11. Salt the dish, pour liquid honey and stir.

Add boiled wheat grains to any salads (vegetable or meat). It is better that they are elastic. To do this, rinse the wheat, cover it with cold water and let it cook for one hour. Make sure that the boil is not too violent. And now the recipe for vegetable salad:

1. Peel two fresh cucumbers and cut into cubes.
2. Remove the skins and seeds from two tomatoes and cut them into cubes as well.
3. Chop one green and one yellow bell pepper into cubes.
4. Chop the white part of one leek.
5. Mix all the vegetables and half a glass of boiled wheat.
6. Toss the salad with a dressing made from a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of soy sauce and a teaspoon of lemon juice.

Sprouted wheat grains are also great for adding to salads. Read how to get healthy grains with sprouts. In addition to vegetable and meat salads, boiled wheat is also used in fruit salads. You will find the recipe for an unusual and very tasty salad with dried fruits in the video clip located at the end of this article.

Prepare healthy and tasty porridge from wheat:

1. Pour one glass of whole wheat into three glasses of water.
2. Leave to swell for at least 10 hours.
3. Next, put the pan with wheat on the fire and cook until soft.
4. Salt the porridge at the very end, 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

Whole wheat porridge goes well with stewed vegetables. It can be used as a filling for lean cabbage rolls, but then add fried onions and boiled porcini mushrooms to the porridge. If you mix porridge with chopped fried meat, you can bake delicious pies that our grandmothers used to make. Prepare yeast dough for pies or buy store-bought puff pastry.

With wheat you can cook first courses such as soups and pickles. Since it takes much longer to cook than all other ingredients, boil it in advance and add it to the soup 10 minutes before it is completely ready.

Wheat can also be used for making desserts. Try this sweet pie recipe:

1. Knead the dough from flour (250 g), butter (100 g), eggs (1 pc). Roll the dough into a ball, wrap it in film and put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
2. Pour 1 glass of boiled wheat with 1 glass of milk and add a tablespoon of butter. Grate the zest from one lemon into the mixture and place in the oven until the milk is completely absorbed into the cereal.
3. Pour 150 g of sugar into the steamed and cooled wheat and beat in 2 eggs - mix.
4. Add a tablespoon of vanilla sugar, 300 g of soft ricotta cheese and a handful of raisins to the filling. Stir again.
5. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1 cm and place it in the mold to form sides.
6. Place the filling on top of the dough, and make a lattice of dough strips on top of it.
7. Brush the pie with beaten yolk and bake at 170-180 degrees for approximately one hour.
8. Slice the dessert while it is still warm.

This pie is traditionally served in Italy during the Christmas holidays. Try baking it - it's very simple, but very tasty.

Undeservedly forgotten whole wheat can add variety to your everyday table. If you are interested in dishes made from wheat, go to the market to buy it - for some reason it is rarely sold in stores. And then cook according to our recipes, and enjoy your meal.

Before we get into our extensive listing with descriptions and photos, let's clear up some general points. Groats- a food product consisting of whole or crushed grains of various crops. Cereals are produced primarily from cereals ( millet, buckwheat, rice, corn), other grains ( barley, oats, wheat, dagussa, less often rye) and legumes ( peas, lentils) crops. Cereals also include flakes ( oatmeal, corn), expanded grains ( rice, wheat), artificial sago and others.

Cereals are rich in fiber, proteins, vitamins B1, B2, PP, while at the same time they contain very little fat. The fewer stages of processing the grain has gone through, the healthier it is, since its shells contain most of the minerals and vitamins. Ground and polished grains are less healthy, but they cook faster.

Types of cereals

There are cereals whole, crushed and compressed (in the form of flakes). Cereals made from whole grains are called kernels. Such grain undergoes careful selection; only large and whole grains can be the kernel. If a packet of cereal, called a kernel, contains cereal “flour”, crushed grains, shells and impurities, then this cereal is of low quality. Crumbly porridges and side dishes are prepared from the core.

Crushed cereals are called chaff. It is obtained simply - the cereal is completely or partially freed from the shells and crushed. Crushed cereals can be smaller or coarser; they cook quickly and are better absorbed than whole grains. Crushed cereals are most suitable for making milk porridges.

As a result of special steam treatment and pressing, cereals are obtained in the form of flakes. The most popular cereals are oatmeal, but recently millet, rice, buckwheat and many other flakes have appeared. They are quick to prepare and easy to digest. Suitable for preparing milk porridges and desserts.

In any case, the nutritional value of cereals is higher than that of the grain from which they are produced, because the conventional weight of simple grain ( let it be 100 grams) accounts for part in the form of “husk” ( more correctly, the fruit and seed shells, as well as the flower film), and the finished product in the form of cereal is cleared of these inedible components, so the same conventional 100 grams will contain more nutrients.

(As an “inappropriate” use of various cereals, we can mention the use of many of them to make coffee substitutes, although, of course, they cannot replace a real drink, with all its beneficial properties!)

Perhaps, from personal observations, I can say that the most common in Russia are various wheat cereals ( couscous, semolina, arnivka and many others), but, despite their dominant position, the range of stores is not limited to this. Now let’s take a closer look at which cereals from which cereals and other plants can be found on sale.

Almost everything about cereals

Amaranth(kiwicha) is a cereal originally from South America, which has recently become extremely popular due to its beneficial properties. It has a higher content of protein, iron, magnesium and phosphorus than other cereals, and the balance of amino acids is better, since amaranth contains lysine and methionine, which other cereals lack, especially corn grits. In addition, amaranth contains the anti-inflammatory substance squalene. Amaranth does not contain gluten, so it can be recommended for consumption by people on a gluten-free diet. Amaranth grains are very aromatic, their taste is similar to the taste of sesame seeds with a little pepper. Cooked amaranth grains are very shiny and resemble granular brown caviar. Amaranth grains are very small, they stick to each other and stick to the bottom of the pan. Therefore, it is better to cook amaranth in a non-stick pan, in a steam bath or in a microwave oven. Or mix amaranth with other cereals: cook 55 g of amaranth and 110 g of toasted quinoa in 500 ml of water for 15-20 minutes, the porridge will turn out very tempting.

Buckwheat does not apply to cereals. The plant from which it is collected, with reddish stems and wide, heart-shaped leaves, is a close relative of rhubarb. It arrived in Europe in the 15th century from Manchuria. Traditionally, buckwheat is consumed throughout Central Europe in the form of porridge, cooked from more or less finely crushed grains. There are 3 types of buckwheat: kernel, prodelnaya and Smolensk. Yadritsa - whole grains from which the fruit membrane has been removed - is good for crumbly porridges, as well as cereals and minced meat, perfect for soups. Prodel is the same kernel, which has additionally split the grains; it can be large ( about half a buckwheat kernel) and small ( less than half the core). Viscous porridges, meatballs and casseroles are prepared from prodel.

Smolensk groats
obtained by completely peeling the buckwheat shells and completely removing flour dust. Smolensk groats are perfectly digestible and good for liquid and viscous porridges, meatballs and casseroles. Green buckwheat is distinguished from brown buckwheat by its production technology. Green buckwheat does not undergo heat treatment ( steaming), thanks to which the natural light green color of the grains, mild buckwheat taste and aroma and ability to germinate are preserved. During storage, especially in the light, green buckwheat can acquire a beige color, which is a natural process, just like green lentils, which turn brown over time. Buckwheat is a record holder for the content of vitamins, microelements, and complete proteins necessary for human health. By the way, buckwheat contains a lot of magnesium and also contains tryptophan ( both components are approximately 65-70% of a person’s daily requirement), so this product is perfect for normalizing sleep. In addition, the absence of gluten makes buckwheat an ideal option for people with allergies to this protein.

Dagussa(korakkan, korakan, finger millet, ragi) - a cereal crop originally from North Africa from the Ethiopian Highlands, over time it became very popular in India and Nepal. Round grains can have different colors - from dark red to light.

There are options for using dagussa cereal, but its main consumption is still in the form of flour. Flour is used for baking bread ( classic Indian flatbreads roti, steamed flatbreads idli), flour and cereals are also used to prepare a low-alcohol drink, a kind of local “beer”.

Dagussa is rich in the essential amino acid methionine, and it also contains a lot of calcium, so in some regions ( northwest Vietnam, southern India) Dagussa dishes are recommended as health-improving and even medicinal food for women in the prenatal period and for children over 6 months.

In our country, it is problematic to buy dagussa; you can ask around in specialized Indian stores (and there are already many of them in large cities) or order it on the Internet.

Dolichos– unusual cream-colored beans with a white ridge, a separate genus of legumes. This ancient legume is quite common around the world, but is especially popular in Indian cuisine. Dolichos boasts not only a rich herbal aroma, but also a balanced protein. Both ripe dry fruits and fresh green pods are used for food. Dolichos is versatile, it can be a side dish or a main dish, and is equally good in salads and soups, especially in combination with ginger and coconut. Dolichos beans have a rich herbal aroma and taste a little like green beans. It is recommended to pre-soak the beans before cooking. They are cooked for more than an hour; during the cooking process, the characteristic scallop disappears.

Quinoa(quinoa, quinoa) is a rice quinoa, which is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to the genus “pigweed”. Quinoa has a fairly ancient origin; in addition, quinoa has long been considered one of the most important food products among the Indians. In the Inca civilization, quinoa was one of the three most important foods, such as potatoes and corn. Quinoa contains much more protein than any other grain - approximately 16.2%. The composition of quinoa is close to the composition of milk proteins, while the amino acids are well balanced. The main distinguishing feature of quinoa is that it takes on the flavor of the food with which it is cooked. This is precisely what determines the entire range of its wide application - it is used for preparing salads and all kinds of main courses, for preparing desserts and cereals, etc. For those who are still afraid to try this amazing grain, I want to mention that quinoa has a very light , delicate texture and faint herbaceous flavor. And if you suddenly decide to cook quinoa, then first fry it in vegetable oil - the taste will become more refined.

Corn- American by origin, arrived in Europe at the end of the 15th century and quickly spread throughout the southern regions. Corn comes in yellow, white, purple and black. On sale you can find large ones - large grains for soup, small ones - for porridge, casseroles and fillings. Hominy and polenta are cooked from corn, tortillas and muffins are baked, and corn flour is added to sauces and creams. Polenta ( crushed corn kernels) is used as a side dish or as an independent dish with various additives ( vegetables, mushrooms, meat, anchovies, etc..). And it turns out that some manufacturers prepare a coffee substitute from corn.

You can make sweet pudding or just porridge from polenta, bake buns or delicious unusual pancakes ( step by step recipe with photos) . Porridge from
Corn grits are hard and have a specific taste. The cereal is cooked for about an hour, increasing in volume by 3-4 times. Corn porridge with pumpkin is very tasty. This cereal is rich in starch and iron, vitamins B, E, A, PP, but the calcium and phosphorus content in it is not too high. Its nutritional value and culinary properties are lower than other types of cereals. The proteins in corn grits are incomplete and poorly digestible. This cereal does not cause excess weight and is recommended for older people and people leading a sedentary lifestyle. A distinctive feature of corn porridge is its ability to inhibit fermentation processes in the intestines, reducing flatulence ( bloating) and colic, as well as the absence of gluten, which allows you to eat porridge without the risk of getting celiac enteropathy.

Couscous(couscous) - coarsely ground cereal processed with flour from durum wheat, sometimes from barley or waxy wheat, completely cleared of shells and germs. It is used to prepare the base of a classic dish of Maghreb cuisine - couscous, the Arabic analogue of Central Asian pilaf. Sometimes couscous is also called cereals made from other grains, as well as dishes made from them. The diameter of the grains is about 1 mm. Traditionally, couscous was prepared by women, but since preparing couscous is a very labor-intensive process, couscous production has now been mechanized. Couscous has a delicate taste, can perfectly replace pasta and rice, and can be used as a side dish. It can be served both hot and cold. It is often used to prepare various salads, or it can be boiled. And the unusual texture of couscous perfectly replaces bread crumbs to create a crispy crust.

Linen. Strictly speaking, you will not find the phrase “flaxseed” anywhere; flax seeds are used for cooking, which can be easily found in health stores or pharmacies, but in grocery stores you will most often see packages with the name “flaxseed.” ", or "linseed flour". For a very long time in our country, this original Russian product was forgotten, but now in almost any supermarket there are several options to choose from for preparing flax porridge, often these will be mixes with wheat or pumpkin, or sesame, etc. For preparation, they use pressed from the oil the seeds, and also ground into flour. But no one is stopping you from buying whole grains at the nearest pharmacy and preparing “live” porridge from them yourself.

Flax seeds are an incredibly healthy product! Considering that you will probably use a ready-to-cook mixture, a big plus for those watching their weight is that after pressing the oil there is very little fat left behind. But there is a lot of easily digestible protein, which is almost twice as much as carbohydrates! The high fiber content normalizes the functioning of the digestive system and cleanses the intestines of toxins. Flax seeds are an excellent source of essential fatty acids ( Omega 3 and 6), which are vital for humans! Flaxseed porridge will contain quite a lot of vitamins B, A and E. There are also important micro- and macroelements ( zinc, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium). Flaxseeds contain such interesting compounds as “lingans”, which are known for their antitumor properties, significantly strengthen the immune system, and are antioxidants.

There are a lot of recipes for making flaxseed porridge, so feel free to experiment with this ancient and very healthy product.

Mung beans - golden beans. Mung beans, mung beans, golden beans - legumes originating from India, green small oval-shaped beans. In Indian cuisine, mung bean peas are better known as dal or dhal. In some Eastern countries, mung bean is also called urid or urad. Mung bean has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system of the body. Regular consumption of this cereal strengthens the heart, makes blood vessels more elastic, lowers blood pressure, and cleanses blood vessels of cholesterol plaques. Phosphorus, which is found in abundance in mung bean cereals, is very valuable for the human body. It improves memory, enhances mental abilities and helps resist stress. Phosphorus also benefits our vision, helps the kidneys and strengthens bone tissue. Many varied, and most importantly delicious, dishes are prepared from mung bean grains. Mung bean is perfect for making soups, side dishes, sauces, pasta and even desserts. Cooking from this grain is very simple, which will especially please novice cooks. As a “bonus”, here’s a fact: beans are one of the foods that help fight insomnia.

Chickpeas(chick peas, hummus) - a plant of the legume family. The bean shape is usually short and swollen with a rough surface. The color of the beans varies from light yellow to dark. Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein and carbohydrates, as well as a storehouse of micro- and macroelements. Mostly light varieties of chickpeas are used in cooking. (and roasted coffee is used as a coffee substitute). It is added to first courses (for example, dietary chickpea and cauliflower soup), and green bean leaves are eaten fresh, added to vegetable salads. Chickpeas are also served as a side dish or as a second course. National Italian and Indian dishes such as falafel and hummus, as well as Filipino sweet desserts, are prepared from chickpeas. In vegetarian cuisine, sprouted chickpeas are a valuable source of vegetable protein, as well as minerals, as it retains all its nutritional and beneficial properties.

The peculiarity of chickpeas is that for complete cooking they require a longer heat treatment of 60–120 minutes, but at the same time they are easily boiled if this time limit is exceeded. Before cooking, it should be soaked for 12-24 hours, in which case the cooking time can be reduced by about 20 - 30 minutes. Perhaps this fact is the reason for its less popularity in cooking than lentils or peas. But if you still decide to cook a dish with chickpeas, it will definitely be tasty and unusual, for example beef with chickpeas.

Oat groats. Contains a relatively large amount of vegetable protein. Rich in vitamins B1, B2, necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system. Oatmeal is a “champion” in terms of calcium and phosphorus content, which are necessary for a growing body to form bone tissue and teeth. It contains a lot of magnesium and iron. Oatmeal contains the largest amount of vegetable (healthy) fats and is rich in fiber. Experts consider oatmeal to be a typical northern food - it is very high in calories and warms up the body well. The following cereals are produced from oats: steamed uncrushed oatmeal, rolled rolled oatmeal, rolled oats, extra flakes, petal flakes and oatmeal. In Russia, not only porridge, but also jelly was previously made from oatmeal - unleavened, sweet, with berries. After the invention of all kinds of muesli, oats are experiencing another peak in popularity. And oatmeal in the morning is the best start to the day ( and you can even wash down delicious porridge with a coffee substitute made from oats).

Pearl barley. Barley, from which pearl barley is made, that is, “pearl” (from the Latin perla - “pearl”), comes from Asia. This is one of the oldest domesticated cereals. Nutritionists recommend using pearl barley for making porridges, meatballs, side dishes - it perfectly replaces rice - as well as in soups and baked goods. Pearl barley is industrially processed coarsely ground barley. The first mention of the use of barley for food dates back to the times of Ancient Egypt ( 4500 years). Pearl barley can be crushed or whole. It is pre-soaked and used for seasoning soups and crumbly porridges. Porridges are cooked from fine crushed pearl barley, cutlets and casseroles are made.

Spelled(and many of its variations - kamut, eminkorn, spelled, farro, achar, emmer, zanduri) is a semi-wild variety of wheat, more precisely a group of types of wheat with a brittle ear and filmy grain. It has many beneficial and even medicinal properties. Many nutritionists agree that the current increase in morbidity is largely due to the refusal to eat plants such as spelled, with a set of chromosomes that has not been changed by humans. Until the 18th–19th centuries, spelled porridge was a very common dish in the central and northern provinces of Russia, the Volga region and Siberia. Spelled ( spelled), grown in the USA, is sold today in Russia under the trade name “kamut”, which creates some confusion. Spelled, spelled and kamut are different names for the same plant, which has not been crossed with other varieties and has retained its unique properties. And if we consider all wheat cereals ( and not only), then spelled is probably the healthiest of all! .

Millet. This cereal is obtained from millet grains, freed from spikelet scales by peeling. Millet is rich in protein and fiber, as well as B vitamins. To prepare for cooking, they are sorted and washed especially thoroughly at a water temperature of 40 C to 60 C, gradually increasing the water temperature to remove flour, which imparts bitterness to finished products.

Millet has a lipotropic effect ( prevents fat deposition) and has a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system, liver and hematopoiesis, safe for gluten allergies. In folk medicine, millet is valued as a product that gives strength and “strengthens the body.” Millet dishes prepared with milk, cottage cheese, liver, pumpkin and other products are very tasty and nutritious.

Wheat cereal "Poltavskaya"– wheat grain, freed from the germ and partially from the seed and fruit coats, polished, elongated, oval or round. In appearance, Poltava grain resembles pearl barley. Poltava cereal contains sufficient amounts of vegetable protein, starch, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, boron, vanadium, iodine, cobalt, manganese, and copper.

In cooking, Poltava grain No. 1 is used for filling soups, and grains No. 2, 3 and 4 are used for preparing porridges, casseroles, meatballs, etc.

Rice. Ranks first in carbohydrate content ( mainly starch, which is very well absorbed by the child’s body). However, the content of healthy dietary fiber in rice cereal is lower than, for example, in buckwheat, oatmeal or millet. According to the processing method, rice can be: polished, completely freed from flower films; polished; crushed polished, a by-product from the production of polished and milled rice, less than one-third the size of a regular kernel; steamed, steamed rice, and the grains retain a large amount of useful substances, and they themselves turn out crumbly. Milled rice has a rough surface, polished ( produced from glassy polished) - smooth shiny surface. Oval and elongated rice grains are mealy, semi-vitreous and glassy. The use of rice in cooking is limited only by the imagination of the cook.

From a culinary point of view, there are three types of rice: short-grain rice, 4–5 mm long, used in desserts, almost opaque, containing a lot of starch; medium grain rice, wider and shorter than long grain rice, 5–6 mm long; long grain rice, 6–8 mm long, used more often in savory dishes. According to the color of rice, there are: white rice - polished rice, which has lost a significant part of its beneficial properties; with a yellowish tint - steamed rice, which retains its beneficial qualities; brown rice is the healthiest rice, people are accustomed to it from childhood, it contains the most useful vitamins and amino acids; black rice ( wild rice) and long grain, contains large amounts of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Perhaps the most valuable and sought after cereal among those suffering from gluten allergies, especially varieties that have undergone minimal processing.